The Illini Fighting Illini men's basketball team is coming off of a Final Four run that ended with a loss to the Connecticut Huskies, and, afterward, the loss of star forward Keaton Wagler.

Wagler, the team's leading scorer last season, was selected fifth in the 2026 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers leaving a gaping hole in the Illini's 2026-27 starting lineup.

Recently, a CBS Sports college basketball insider gave Illinois' top returning a scorer a big vote of confidence as he prepares for life without Wagler in pursuit of a national championship. 

Illinois forward David Mirkovic finished second among all Illini scorers last season with 13.3 points per game, 4.6 behind Wagler. 

A native of Nikšić, Montenegro, Mirkovic made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team after his rookie season with the Illini last season alongside Wagler and three others. 

Now, he is prepared to make a big leap forward according to college hoops insider Jon Rothstein. 

Rothstein chose Mirkovic for his 2026-27 All-Big Ten Team along with Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau, Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Ohio State guard John Mobley, and Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort. 

Rothstein's team shows the Big Ten's relative lack of frontcourt size compared to last season although the Fighting Illini are expected to have one of the biggest frontcourts in the entire country, which should ease the pressure on Mirkovic. 

Mirkovic is expected to lead what should be an efficient, balanced, high scoring lineup in Champaign next season. 

His 13.3 points per game scoring average looks much more impressive taking into account his 48.4% shooting percentage, which he compiled on nearly 10 shot attempts per game. 

Mirkovic stands 6-feet-9 and weighs 250 pounds.

With brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic holding down the paint for Illinois, Mirkovic gets plenty of open looks at the basket and knocks them down better than most players his size.

The Montenegro native made 37.5% of his three-point attempts last season on 4.1 attempts per game, showcasing his ability to stay confident and keep shooting during high pressure situations.

Mirkovic might take a backseat to Andrej Stojakovic next season as the Illini's best player, but his production is almost guaranteed to increase.

As long as the Illini forward stays healthy, he should be a go-to guy in 2026-27 and one of the nation's best players as Illinois coach Brad Underwood prepares to lead his team to a shot at the program's first ever national championship.